Backdoor to Hell
by Wolfaye
Summary: Something crawls through the streets of Midgar, cloaked in shadows. Monsters are on rampage and children disappear mysteriously. Vincent, the rest of AVALANCHE and the Turks stand on each different road, to where the dawn of their fate is the end.
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything from Squaresoft Company except my own characters and future environments. This is a new improved writing and I hope this will be better than the last one. Enjoy.**

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_**Prologue**_

Claret eyes gazed up in the sky as gray locks danced in the wind. Dark clouds were forming in the horizon, growing mightier and darker by each passing hour. The pale moon in a form of a wicked grin glowed brightly alongside the stars, but they will be soon covered by the thick blanket to never be seen again.

"Its happening awfully fast." A young female voice stated behind. The older woman, recognizing the voice did not turn around but lowered her gaze at the town below them.

"And we must precede this quickly child. If not, the humans will experience things, far worse than anything they have encountered in the past." The woman replied coldly and turned around, fazing the young girl. "We can not prevent this any longer. You of all people should know that."

The girl walked past the other one and stopped by the cliff, scanning the darkened town. "I know." Her maroon eyes soon landed on a local pub, east side of town. The pub was small and dark, a warm glow emitted from the windows, giving a pleasant feeling of comfort in her heart. Above the door was a big sign; _The Kalmer_, written in red and revealed by the streetlamps. She chuckled at the name; humans seemed to know the easy way out of things. Though she knew that this was only the calm before the storm, it made her glad to know that humans could entertain themselves in dark times, even if it was in an odd way.

"But I can't let any more innocent lives face more danger. Especially children." She said in a tone of guilt, clearly remembering of what had happened the last time she visited Midgar. She vowed to never let that happen again. The girl threw that memory aside and frowned when she caught a small figure wrapped in a cloak, edging its way towards the bar.

"Hello there." The girl whispered to herself, eyeing the being with interest, as the person glanced around carefully before entering. A wry smirk crossed her pale lips.

"What are _you_ up to know?"

_**To be continued...**_

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**I decided to make a prologue before giving the chapters, I know its short but it had to be. Some of you, who already read the last chapters, in the former story, should know about these people. But please don't spoil the fun for others. Send me a review and I will be joyful. **


	2. The bar dance

**Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy VII characters along with the rest of the world etc.** **This will be a multi-chapter story and may possibly hold romance in later chapters.**

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**_Chapter 1:_ The bar dance**

It has been six months since the planet was saved from the meteor and the battle against Sephiroth. But she still was weary and scarred, nevertheless she was slowly healing. People could now sleep more peacefully at nights, without being worried about the big rock of black magic covering most of the sky, glowing like a newborn sun.

Midgar lies in shambles but there was still citizens living in the city. Most of the people moved to the towns nearby, and Kalm was now blooming with life. And in Kalm, the saviors of the planet were celebrating on a reunion at the new bar called _The Kalmer_. The bar was small but big enough for people with different problems to reside in. Several different people bathing in a thick cloud of smoke and alcohol scent.

"PARTY!!!, Woohoo!!!" A young girl shouted while dancing on a table with a beer can in her right hand.

"Hey brat, easy with'e booze!" A middle-aged man shouted back to the girl, but the girl took no notice and continued with her fun.

"Relax Cid, she is 16 almost 17, Yuffie can take care of herself." The woman by the counter in front of him said in a mild voice.

"Hmph, yeah, yeah Tifa, they all say that." The man called Cid grunted and returned to his own drink on the bar-stool.

Tifa sighted and glanced around in the bar. The pilot in front of her, Cid Highwind was enjoying his drink and the spirited little ninja, Yuffie Kisaragi was indeed dancing on the table, with some public shouting and whistling. She smiled and shook her head; the ninja was already on the edge to get drunk. Turning her eyes away from the small _event_, Tifa looked at a big dark-skinned man talking to a young blonde swordsman with spikes pointing out in every direction. The fighter smiled, Cloud Strife seemed to enjoy himself as he talked to his friend.

'_Cloud...'_ She thought a little sadly. She really loved him but his heart was already captured by another in his life. So there was no chance for her to try, but there is always a possibility. The big man opposite him was Barret Wallace, the founder of AVALANCHE and the original leader. He was not drinking anything that held alcohol, said that his daughter would only get hurt if her father came home drunk. Tifa could understand that, since the girl was just only five years old.

Next on the floor resides a cat-looking animal, Nanaki or Red XIII. He watched Cosmo Canyon from all threat. Bugenhagen's death had torn him greatly, but he made huge progress to protect his people.

Tifa turned her gaze elsewhere and as it soon landed on a darkened corner, her eyes squinted. She could see a faint silhouette leaning against the wall. Tifa smiled, knowing who would stand there, Vincent Valentine. The dark gunslinger who disliked being with public, but she had to admit, after being with AVALANCHE, he had softened a bit.

On the other side of the bar sat three men and one woman, dressed in suites. Tifa was kind of surprised to see the Turks and Reeve sitting in the same bar as AVALANCHE. Even when ShinRa was destroyed along with the city, they still did not quite get along, except for Reeve also known as Cait Sith.

All of her friends in AVALANCHE were there and she was glad to get to meet them all. Her smile grew to a frown when she saw a lone figure by a small table, at the far end of the bar. Tifa eyed the figure with mild interest; 'it' had not even touched the drink that was given. The figure was dressed in a long dark green robe with a hood, covering the upper face section. Tifa felt a chill down her spine, that human gave her the creeps; 'it' had stayed there staring at nothing but its glass.

Suddenly a big crash and cursing drew Tifa's attention to the dancing ninja, only to find her on the floor very angry. A man was looming over her with an impious gaze in his eyes. He was very tall and strong built; he was tanned and dressed in a black leather suit. Light violet eyes glowed with amusement and lust whiles his brown, shoulder-length hair swayed as he walked. The other men around him, wearing similar outfits started to advance on the small shinobi, making Yuffie cry out in fear.

"Oh no, this means trouble...." Tifa said and rushed to the ninja's side.

Tifa helped her up and sent a glare to the tall man, who obviously was the leader. "Leave her alone."

The other men just chuckled and gave them smirks, signifying that they did not care. Tifa narrowed her eyes and started to lead Yuffie away from them. The man's smile replaced with anger and grabbed the older woman's right arm fiercely. Tifa was jerked back by him and immediately, her reflexes kicked in. She hastily placed her left foot behind the leader's left leg, and threw him down the floor. The man let go by surprise and stared at Tifa. He then glared in rage and got up, slowly advancing on the girls. The other costumers stared at the people with interest, waiting for who would give in.

"You little bitch." He said in a low tone, filled with anger. Tifa and Yuffie backed away a little. All of a sudden a young man with a big sword stepped in between the man and the girls.

"Leave her alone." Cloud threatened and clenched his Buster sword tighter. The man blinked by the sword's size dumbfounded, that blade could easily cut anything into two. The other men came to their leader's side in aid. Cloud however, stood unafraid of the sudden number and soon heard other pairs of footsteps behind him. The rest of AVALANCHE stood by Cloud with their own threatening glares. The owner of the bar shouted at them to not to fight but his attempts was futile; his voice was made for deaf ears. All of them took battle positions and the remaining costumers moved away safely from the up-coming fight. Just when the leader of the leather-dressed men was going to make his first move, a young voice was heard far away from the battle.

"....pathetic."

Tifa's eyes darted to the cloaked figure, who was still sitting in the corner paying no notice to the fight. All eyes stared at the figure, waiting to what was going to happen next. The figure however, just sat there like a statue with its head bent down, staring at the glass before it.

The leader's face was red with anger. "What did'ya say?!"

"....pathetic." The figure stated calmly.

The AVALANCHE members were somewhat stunned about the figure, which did not even seem to flinch at the man's aggressiveness. The leader, made it to the end of the bar in just a few steps, over to the cloaked being. Once the man was there, he banged his fist on the table, making the liquid in the glass stir.

"Care to say it again?!" The man roared, feeling his blood boil. Who was this stranger to barge in and especially calling him pathetic, he thought.

Silence crept in the room and the leader waited for the reply, before he could hit the figure. The silence was again broken by the simple reply from cloaked one.

"....pathetic." It said again with a little louder voice.

Now the leader was furious and prepared a fist, striking it towards the nose. By just mere inches from the face, something happened. With lightening fast reflexes, the figure grabbed the man's wrist and spun the leader around, making him fall to his knees with his back against the defender. The other arm snaked its way around the leader throat, pulling his grabbed arm against his back. When he started to struggle, he yelled in pain when the cloaked one pulled his arm up, meaning to break the arm.

"P-p-please s-s-s-stop!" The man whimpered in both fear and pain. He may have seen fearless at first glance but noticing that this person could with ease break limbs if it intend to, his confident facade broke. He stopped struggle and was held in an iron grip.

Tifa was stunned by the figures reflexes, while Vincent's eyes narrowed, not in admiration but in suspicion. It was inhuman fast speed; no human could have handled that. Vincent searched the figures body, in sign of any things that could declare if it was human or not. Though he could not see the eyes, he could see its mouth and was surprised to see it smiling.

"....I could snap your arm and twist your throat, you know that. Give me one good reason why I shouldn't." The clothed figure stated silently, enjoying every minute of this.

"P-please I-I beg." He stuttered.

"....you will leave the girls alone and keep yourself out of this bar, understood?" The figure continued while tightening the grip as a warning.

The man was silent, considering the options he had if did not do what he was told. It was hard to think when his life could end at this very moment.

"Did I make myself clear?"

"....yes, yes I understand! Just let me go!" The man screamed in panic with tears welling up in his eyes.

The figure smirked and let go at the trembling man. The leader fell to the ground with a thud and stared at the other one in horror. All the other people stared wide-eyed over what happened, even AVALANCHE held their gazes towards the two. Suddenly the leader got up and sprinted towards the exit, disappeared into the night. The figure turned its face to the other men and smiled evilly, in just seconds they were all gone. Taking this as a warning the rest of the costumers went back to their interest, like nothing had happen. All except AVALANCHE, who was still in shock over the scene just seconds ago. How could that figure scare away people almost twice its size and not to mention that scare away a whole gang?

Like the rest of the costumers, the figure returned to its seat and continued to stare at the drink. Tifa was the first one to break the trance of the group; she walked a few steps closer to the figure uneasy of what might happen. After finding her voice, she coughs a little to get the attention. The figure nodded its head in acknowledgement.

"Um......I thank you for your help." She said with a smile, but it was hard. Smiling after a witnessing to an almost-murdering-scene.....was not very simple.

"......."

"Um....excuse me?" Tifa asked while reached her right hand to touch the figures shoulder. Breaking from the reverie, the figure sensed the hand coming and within a second the figure snatched Tifa's wrist with an iron grip. Tifa yelped in surprise and pain. The figure tightened the grip and Tifa fell to her knees. Then it sensed something else, a great force of a presence not far away. The thought broke when the figure felt a cold, hard pipe against its head. Tifa felt the grip had loosened around her wrist and glanced up, to her relief she found Vincent behind the mysterious creature with his Death Penalty, the barrel held its position on the head.

"Let her go." He said calmly but with a deadly voice.

The figure hesitated a moment before releasing Tifa. She massaged her numb wrist, trying to get the circulation going.

"Are you alright?" Cloud asked in concern as he knelt down next to her.

"I-I'm fine...." She said in a whisper. Both she and Cloud stared up at the figure, which was now at Vincent's mercy. Cloud glared angrily along with his friends.

"And who the %&#(/ are you!" Cid yelled with his spear in his hand. Barret, Nanaki and Yuffie stayed ready while Reeve kept himself a little far away from the battle, alongside the Turks.

The figure did not say anything and the pressure increased at the back of the head, by the barrel.

"Answer." Vincent demanded sternly.

The figure still kept its eyes on Tifa, staring at her.

"......I apologies for my behavior, but it was an instinct of mine. But I can't tell you my name."

"And why is that?" Cloud asked narrowing his eyes.

"....please, I mean no harm but your friend risked it."

"What?!"

".....would you be so kind to lower your gun? I'll take my leave."

Vincent did not trust this person over the world. He sensed a dark aura emitting from the person. He glanced at Cloud for an answer and received a nod. Vincent lowered his gun but kept his space between him and the other one.

"Before you leave I demand your name." Cloud stated standing up with Tifa's shaking form.

"My name is none of your concern human!" The figure snapped back in annoyance. By realizing its mistake, it took a step back but was stopped when a golden claw grabbed the shoulder, holding the being right were it was. The figure felt a shiver in its spine, this man with the claw was the one it sensed earlier. A strange force was being held in this man's mind. When glancing up at the face, it noticed two crimson colored eyes, filled with pain and anger. But the figure saw something else that was impossible for the naked eye....another being was also looking back. At this, the person's eyes widened a bit and made the decision.

".....alright I'll tell you."

_**To be continued...**_

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**Okay chapter one completed with arrangements. I just completed an overlook on my story and I gasped over the length of chapters. It's longer than I thought it would be. The thing is though, I'm a little skeptical if I should continue with it or not. Knowing that Advent Children is on its way, it changed my mood of writing. **


	3. Arvin

**Disclaimer: school is evil!!!! I'm having a $& for a teacher!**

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**_Chapter 2:_ Arvin**

".....alright I'll tell you."

Cloud and the others waited patiently for the stranger to continue. Vincent held his claw tightly on the figure, incase if some unpredictable movements would come to mind. A small step was taken for an introduction from the stranger as it cleared the voice.

".....well m-"The figure abruptly stopped and tapped its hand on the claw, when feeling the owner of it pulled back the person's body in to its place.

"Vincent let go." Cloud ordered. With a quick glance at his leader and back to the figure, he hesitated before he let go.

When the weight of the claw was gone, the figure brushed away the feeling on its shoulder with disgust, like it was dirt. The figure then cleared its voice again and moved its hands towards the hood.

"My name is Arvin." The stranger said while pulling down the hood, showing its face.

Tifa stared wide-eyed at the outsider. This stranger, who had the strength and reflexes far beyond an ordinary man, was a girl.

Cid's cigarette dropped from his mouth in shock, he could not believe what he saw. A young girl about 5, 4 feet tall with a sweet face, could take down a man almost twice as big as her.

Vincent was too very surprised about the news he received, this girl called Arvin, looked about being under 20 and had a dark, evil aura surrounding her. Even though he sensed it earlier, Vincent thought it would be some sort of a creature from the darkness or at least a man, but was almost startled when it was a female. Could this girl bring more than just fear?

Barret, Cloud and Reeve along with the Turks stayed stunned, eyes as wide as dinner-plates.

Nanaki narrowed his eyes when he smelled the scent from the girl. Cold, hard and yet faint smells of midsummer bloom could be detected.

Yuffie was not exactly shocked over that it was a girl, but of her looks. Arvin had thick, dark-blonde hair reaching her mid-back; she had some dreads and some long braids, with pearls and other jewelry on. She wore a red bandana to keep her hair out of the face. Her face was pale and delicate. Arvin's eyes looked grey but they seemed to change color in different sort of light....or maybe emotions. Yuffie was however a little jealous how beautiful she looked.

Arvin glanced around and started to feel uncomfortable; this was a bad idea from the very beginning. But she came for a reason and Arvin was that sort of 'being' that always fulfilled her duties.

"....there, you know now my name, so I guess I should leave then." Arvin replied and began her way towards the exit, only to be stopped by orange beast by the door. Nanaki growled and bared his fangs.

"You will not leave this place." Nanaki stated while his fur started to stand up, a sign of threat.

Arvin just smirked at the creature before her. "And who are you to stop me?"

"My name is Nanaki, protector of the Cosmo Canyon, the son of Seto"

At the last name, Arvin's eyes widened, was this beast really 'the son'of 'the Seto' she knew? She believed that every one of his clan died by the Gi-tribe.

Nanaki saw the realization in her eyes at the mention of his father's name, and glared deeper at her. "You knew him." He growled more as a statement than a question.

Without giving a chance to answer, Nanaki charged forward and pinned Arvin down the floor, knocking the air out of her. Arvin stared irately at the feline and felt her calm began to thin. Nanaki brought his face to hers and growled low. "Who are you, and do not even try to lie. I can smell the evil emitting from you."

Arvin's eyes lit up in fury, her calm was now long gone. _fra-qithan _she cursed. With all of her strength, she brought up her knees to her chest and kicked the beast from her. Nanaki was tossed away at the far end of the bar in to a wall with incredible force, and fell to the ground motionlessly. Tifa ran to the creature that lay unmoving on the ground, and shook him gently.

"Nanaki are you alright?!" Tifa asked in worry. She glanced up at Cloud when she received no reply.

Cloud glared at Arvin angrily and unseated his Buster sword, the rest followed his example.

Arvin stood up eyes glowing dark and glared at them. Yuffie was first to throw her shuriken at the new enemy. Arvin saw the deadly weapon coming towards her and quickly caught it, and with a spin she threw it back to its owner. Yuffie yelped as she got pinned hard in the wall by her own weapon, the blades sat deep in her right side of her shirt.

Cloud charged forward at her, with his sword held over his head. He was about to strike her, but received a sharp blow in his stomach. He glanced down and saw a dark ball of energy and as Yuffie, he was thrown back. He slammed on the wall and dropped his sword by the sudden impact. The swordsman fell to the ground and gasped for air, clutched his sides in pain.

The others stared in terror when their leader fell to the ground catching his breath. Barret fired his gun-arm. Like seeing this in slow-motion, Arvin simply dodged away from the attack. Tifa was now furious and rushed forward. Arvin just smirked and waited patiently for the martial artist to come. Tifa brought up her left fist and threw a fatal blow to the other girl's face. She however failed her task; the blonde had easily caught her wrist and spun her around, so that Tifa's back was facing Arvin chest. The blonde fighter quickly put her free arm around the waist and bent backwards, sending Tifa's head a hard knock to the floor. Faintness washed over the brunette as she lay on the wooden floor.

Arvin smiled wickedly at the fallen target and glances up at the pilot. Cid felt a cold chill down his spine once he saw her eyes. The cold grey eyes were almost glowing in enjoyment and darkened in malevolent when they spotted the growing fear. Arvin smile in a sinister way and made her way towards Cid, her right hand started to emit black sparkles. Cid backed away in horror until his back was against the wall; sweat was growing on his face and his spear lay long forgotten on the ground. He closed his eyes, waiting for the incoming attack. Arvin's smile widened as she came close enough to strike.

_**BANG!**_

Silence filled the room and Cid opened his eyes slowly and looked at Arvin. To his surprise he found out that her face held an ultimate shock. Arvin tore her gaze from Cid and looked down. Cid did the same and he wished that he should not have. Blood was flowing from her mid-section......black blood.

Arvin hissed in pain and turned around to face the one that had attacked her. Never before had a gun made so much hurt.

And there he stood calmly while holding the Death Penalty, Vincent Valentine. He looked at her and then to the dark puddle forming under her, the smell from the blood made the demons inside him roar. Pain washed over his mind and he clutched his head dropping his gun and fell on his knees, trying to ease it.

Arvin felt weak and brought up her hand towards the wound. Cid watched in disgust and horror, as he saw her hand dig in to her flesh, searching for the bullet. Once she found it, she eyed it with interest. Vincent glanced up at her and along with the rest of the group, they stared wide-eyes at the scene. Arvin's wound started to heal with incredible speed. After a few seconds the wound was gone with the wind.

Arvin looked up from where the wound was, to everyone in the bar. Now they knew. Her eyes were again filled with anger and growled low at them.

".....you will pay for that."

She snapped her fingers and time seemed to stop, all costumers who were facing the fight were now like statues, all except for AVALANCHE and the Turks. Once seeing the spell was working, Arvin soon sprinted to the exit and was gone. Seconds later the whole room was in a quick bright flash, and AVALANCHE stared in shock once the light faded. The whole bar was now buzzing with voices and laughs. Men were drinking and shouting while the drunks fell down their seats. All costumers were acting like nothing had happened.

The Turks helped the fallen heroes up from the ground with one question in mind;

'_Who was that girl?'_

Vincent felt the demons calming down and stood up. He did not know what had happened, but he knew one thing....that girl was not human.

**_To be continued..._**

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I know, I know...I'm slow at this, but school is killing me. Three hour lessons each day! Anyway please send me a review and I will update the other chapters as soon as I can.


	4. White haired savior

**Disclaimer; I don't own anything from the game Final Fantasy VII or anything else from Square Enix (Squaresoft?) I have overlooked the following chapters and it will be defiantly be over thirty chapters long......the question is, can you survive?**

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**_Chapter 3: _White haired savior**

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"&#/($ hell.......I need a cigarette." Cid muttered under his breath while reaching for his pack behind his goggles. He was still shaking after the encounter with Arvin; he could swear that if it gone any longer, he would have to change into a new pair of pants.

"I'll say, that's was scary." The spunky ninja scowled when she got down from the wall. She was impressed though, never had she seen a human move that fast, if you could call that human. If that Arvin were a ninja, she would put her elders at shame. Thinking twice, that would have been fun to witness.

Nanaki had regained consciousness and were in deep thought. This Arvin indeed knew his father. But that would mean that she was older than twenty, even thirty for the possibility of actually 'knowing' him.

Barret helped Cloud off the flour and steadied him over to a wooden chair. The swordsman winced in pain when he breathed, indicating that ribs were broken. Strong coughs erupted from his lungs followed by cry of agony. Tifa rushed over to his side, not bothered by her throbbing headache.

Everyone was all shook up from the event, and the host decided to close the bar earlier than usual. When all the costumers, who were swearing and got very angry about the sudden lock up were gone, it left AVALANCHE and the Turks alone in the bar. The host has been kind to let them stay and gather their strength. They settled down around the largest table, made for the poker men in the corner of the bar. A heavy silence hung over them; no one was sure how to react after this unexpected fight. Reno's voice was the first one to start the discussion.

"So what now?"

_Indeed, what now_ Cloud thought. They had met great enemies along their way but Arvin caught them by surprise, taken them down almost everyone and was still ready for more. "I don't know." was his reply.

Vincent was also in deep thought; he could not stop thinking of 'her'. Now he was confirmed, Arvin may look like a young woman, but deep inside she was a creature of darkness. She did even have 'black blood'. Black, like a writer's ink. That was another sign of inhumanity, he had seen monsters with that kind of blood, and it was as simple as that.

"Hey Vince?"

And why did his demons react so hard by the sight of her blood......or was it the scent of it? The vile heathens often made themselves known whenever his emotions took the better of him.

"Vince?"

_Her wound healed abnormally fast_ Vincent thought.

"Hey Vincent."

_And my gun was the only weapon that caught her off-guard_

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"God dammit Vincent!" Cid slammed his fist on the table, causing Vincent to snap back in reality. Blinking, he turned his gaze to the annoyed pilot. Rising an eyebrow as the question, 'what?'

Cid sniggered at the gunman. "Thinking of the girl huh?"

"......"

The silence and the intensive stare made Cid even more uncomfortable. "Well....I jus' wanna say.... thank you for savin' me".

Vincent did not reply but nodded his head in return.

"If it wasn't for'ya I would hav' been burned to crisps."

Again a nod was received from Vincent. That last sentence brought him back to his gun, it held powers far superior than a normal gun but.......something was out of place, he just could not put his finger on it.

"Vincent, what's bothering you?" Tifa asked when she noticed his silence. Not if it was out of the ordinary, but after the meteor he had opened up a lot more to everyone.

Vincent looked at Tifa and saw concerned in her eyes. Trying to make the decision to tell about the demons or not in front of Tifa, made it hard to consider of the consequences. He did not want to trouble her and all, but not telling her would only make her more......worried. That predicament confused him greatly.

".... nothing, just thinking over what happened." Like he predicted, Tifa eyes glazed with worry and disbelief.

"Don't ya worry Tif, we should be happy that we at least are alive." Barret replied jokingly. Tifa stared down at the table and muttered.

"How can be happy, when I know that my friends nearly lost their lives by 'one' person..." Tears began to gather in her eyes. Cloud gazed at Tifa in concern, she cared deeply for her friends and knew it pained her heart at seeing her comrades get hurt.......nearly die.

"Tifa it's been a long day....night, why don't you go some rest?" Cloud suggested and put his hand on her shoulder. Tifa blinked back the tears and shook her head.

"No. I want to get this through."

"Hmm......I think I'll go out for a walk." Yuffie groaned while stretching out her arms.

"You're sure?" Cloud asked, not liking the idea of letting the teenager out on her own, under these circumstances.

Yuffie rolled her eyes at the blonde leader. "Hey, I'm the great ninja Yuffie, I'll be alright. Besides I just gonna take some fresh air."

Cloud hesitated first but then nodded. Yuffie got up and left for the exit. When she opened the door, a voice called.

"Don't get ya'self in trouble brat!" Cid shouted with his stick-of-death in his mouth.

"Yeah yeah, I know. I'm just a girl, what could I possibly do?" She grinned and put on an innocent face. The others just rolled their eyes as she closed the door.

"......dat's what worries me." Cid said with a sight.

The Turks had been talking with Reeve and suddenly left from the bar. Cloud watched them until they closed the door and turned his eyes to Reeve for an explanation. The former Shinra employee turned hi attention to him.

"The Turks are going out to see if any civilians are wounded by Arvin's 'getaway'."

Cloud nodded and glanced over to Red. He frowned slightly when he saw the feline near the puddle of the black blood, sniffing. The swordsman got up and walked over to his furred friend.

"What is it Red?"

Nanaki smelled the blood again and felt his fur stand up. The blood smelled like a human's but had a lot more deeper scent. Even though the heavy scent of copper, it emitted a cold fragrance, like liquid-nitrogen.

"......I don't know". He turned to Cloud. "Whoever that was, she knew my father. Cloud, I want to find her, to get my questions answered."

Cloud nodded understanding but was troubled. It was Red's choice; however going on his own was like sending a pigeon into a storm. The beast carried wisdom and strength but who knows what more she is capable of.

"I will come too."

Cloud turned to the speaker and found out that it came from Vincent. Barret, Cloud, Reeve and Cid exchanged glances before staring at him. "Why?" Cloud asked slightly surprised.

Vincent sighed and closed his eyes. "I too have some questions that will need answers. I will accompany Nanaki on this mission."

The blonde swordsman just nodded no mood for any argue. Vincent was a man who would not change his mind, once it was set. He sighed and walked slowly back to the table. Once he sat down, he massaged his temples. "What was she?" He muttered in frustration.

Barret glanced at the clock on the wall, she was two in the morning and sighted. _This is gonna be a long night_.

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Yuffie walked along the street, enjoying the cool air. A walk always made her at ease, but not this time though. She could not stop thinking back at the scenery. If her shuriken had been thrown one inch lower, she would have been joining the ranks of the dead. Yuffie's thoughts were brought back to Arvin. She was so good-looking, like an angel, but inside lurked a devil. _Even the most beautiful rose has thorns_ Yuffie mused.

Her thoughts were put aside when she heard a cry, echoing through the silent town. Instantly she ran to were it came from. Running in to an alley, her eyes widened at the scene.

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**WHAM!**

The man slumped down from the wall, creating a line of blood from his head, along it. He dazed up at the figure in front of him. The figure bent down and grabbed the man's shirt, and dragged him up.

"Where is it?!" The figure hissed.

The man shook with fear. "I don't know what you're talking about!" He turned his gaze towards his friends, who laid all dead in the corner, covered in blood.

The figure once again slammed him in the wall and smirked. "Don't take me for a fool Milo......or should say Dukam. I may be young but my powers should not be taken for granted. I know that you know what this little 'thing' is. Besides you don't want the same fate as you little friends got, do you?"

"......who are you?" Dukam asked in fear. Very few in this world knew his real name.

The figure brought Dukam face to face and smiled evilly. The smile grew wider when Dukam recognized the face.

"........Arvin" He whispered in shock.

Arvin chuckled. "Nice that you remember me. Well....let's ask again; where is it?"

"....."

Arvin sighed in annoyance and shook her head. "Tell me Dukam, what's the point? I practically executed your 'so called friends', without any trouble. Do you really think that you can survive any longer than them in battle?"

"....."

"....all right, I'll give you an option. If you tell me 'were' it is or 'who' has it, I'll let you go. However, if you don't tell me....." Arvin moved close to the side of his head, "...drah oui'ja caah ouin mycd suuhneca." She whispered in his ear. Dakum's breath was caught in his throat.

"......Sokat." He whispered.

"What?"

"Sokat know were it is."

...._Sokat_ Arvin thought. She had not thought of him having the item. But then again, 'she' trusts Sokat with her life. Arvin closed her eyes and smiled.

Dukam felt his calm returning and let out a sight of relief. Suddenly his breath was caught again when he felt a stabbing pain in his chest. He glanced down and saw the horrifying scenario; Arvin's hand had dug itself deep inside his chest. Blood flowed down and Dukam's sight began to blur. The pain suddenly left him and he felt nothing. Arvin dropped him to the ground, satisfied with the torture. Dukam stared up in horror when he saw a blooded item pulsing in her palm and screamed when he realized what would happen soon.

"God no!!"

Arvin smiled and clenched her hand with sudden force. The black colored heart exploded like a water filled balloon. She stared at Dukam to see him screaming in pain and blue flames started to envelop him, seconds later he was gone. Only thing left was a pile of ash and a ring made of gold. Arvin bent down and put a hand over the ring.

"Samd" She muttered and a deep orange glow enveloped the ring

A moment later she lifted her hand to see the ring had melted into small puddle of hot gold.

Yuffie stared in fear and did not have the courage to move. When she finally found her body, she tried sneak back the way she came from.

**CLINK!**

Yuffie froze; she saw a tin can roll away from her feet. She then began to hear footsteps behind her and Yuffie made a quick dash. Arvin had heard the sound and made her way towards the intruder. She saw a glint of a shadow running away. Arvin smelled the air and growled low. It was on of 'them'. Without any hesitation, she dashed after the teen.

The cat and mouse chase had begun.

Yuffie's heart leaped to her throat as she hard the running footsteps behind her. She searched in all directions in hope to notice the bar; unfortunately a thick cloud of mist had emerged. It was in vain, she could barely see her hand in front of her face. Yuffie continued to run until her body met a brick wall, making her fall to the ground. She crawled up and looked around, a dead end.

The ninja turned to run the other way but stopped. Before her stood none other than Arvin, smirking at her.

Arvin began to stride calmly to Yuffie's shaking form, never once leaving her eyes at her. Her hands started to sparkle with purple-black lightning. Yuffie closed her eyes and shielding herself from the upcoming attack. Arvin raised her hand and charged forward, ready to strike with full force.

**BOOM!**

The ninja jumped by the loud noise and felt a strong force knocking her to the ground. Yuffie thought for sure that she was dead but when she felt stinging pain in her limbs, she knew she had survived. She opened her eyes and gasped. Arvin was blown in a wall, and before her stood a tall man. Yuffie looked confused at Arvin but turned her head at the stranger. The man had a long cloak and dark boots; he had white short hair slicked back. The man turned around to Yuffie and she felt shivers down her spine, the male had a pale face and sharp, ice blue eyes.

Arvin groaned in pain and looked up at the man. She glared at him when she recognized him. "What are 'you' doing here?"

The man looked at Arvin with amused eyes. "My dear Arvin, you were about to kill an innocent girl."

"That girl knew too much." Arvin muttered under her breath while getting up.

"Just like Dukam and his comrades?" He asked with a tint of mockery. Arvin scowled at him and leaned at the wall, closing her eyes. The male shrugged and walked towards Yuffie, who was trembling. He bent down and put his right hand over her eyes.

"Cmaab."

Instantly, Yuffie fell into a world of darkness.

_**To be continued... **_

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My sincerest apologies for lack of update, but right now I'm on a ship called Deadline and is about to reach the same doom as Titanic. I didn't even bring me a life-vest......

I'm really in a depressive state right now so it might take a while for any updates. But please send me a review and write what you think.

Thanks Crescent-Wish-Forever for reviewing and I hope more will read this story. I know I'm a poor writer but I'm trying my best, and I assure you that it will get better in time.


	5. The dream

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**_Chapter 4;_** **The dream**

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The man looked down at Yuffie's slumbering form and frowned. "Really, did she anger you that much? She is just a kid." The man stood up and turned around, facing Arvin who just snorted.

".....and why do you care, Irque? She's only a mere human." She asked arching an eyebrow.

The man, registered as Irque eyed her with an amused look. "Could it really be that the famous Saumi, of the Lizao clan, is being jealous? By a human to add?"

Arvin or rather Saumi almost lost her balance at the remark and shot a death glare at Irque. Her anger was building up every second. "And why would I be jealous?!" She spat at him. Irque just chuckled and shook his head, looking back at Yuffie.

"I'm just kidding Saumi. But don't forget your place."

Saumi calmed downed and walked to be Irque stood, and also staring down at Yuffie. "Like I said, she knew too much." She stated simple and glanced over at her friend for any sign of reaction but found him in total silence, waiting. The woman frowned slightly before turning her attention back to the ninja. She was amazed by the young shinobi; the girl had courage to go off alone after their little so-called introduction. The thought never occurred to her that someone would come after her; it made her a little disappointed. _Guess I can never compare to her_.

"And?"

Saumi jumped slightly and turned to Irque. His abrupt question echoed through the quiet alley. Saumi blinked in confusion. The man sighed and closed his eyes. "How come she knows too much?" He spoke softly. Saumi opened her mouth to respond but was silenced by a wave of a pale hand. "Besides the bar incident."

The woman stared down at the solid earth under her. She dreaded the reaction she will receive from him, but she could never lie in front of him. "She saw what I did to Dukam." At that sentence, Irque's head snapped up and stared at her rather upset. Saumi saw his expression and quickly added, "B-b-but she didn't hear about the-"Irque silenced her again by covering her mouth.

"Saumi no! Remember, even walls have ears." Even if those words were just an old saying Saumi knew he meant those words literally. She nodded and Irque gently pulled his hand back and gazed up in the sky. The moon shone brightly, like a diamond in sunlight, it made him sad. He began to think back at the conversation between his elders.

_Soon there will not be a moon to gaze at anymore_.

Irque closed his eyes, enjoying the night breeze. He recalled a person that loved the night, more than anyone he else knew. Of course, that was in the past now and she was now a traitor to his lord.

The sound of wings flapping in the air caused his eyes to shot open. He fixed his gaze at the sky, narrowing his eyes when he noticed a raven sitting on a tree branch not far away, croaking.

"...be quite." He mumbled bringing Saumi in to an embrace, and hid themselves in the shadows. They both watched the raven in silence. The bird turned its head in every direction and then flew off. Irque and Saumi waited until it was out of sight before they stepped out from the darkness.

"We must be careful Saumi; 'she' has friends around the worlds." Irque said in a low voice. He looked down at her and smirked. "Blonde is not exactly your color."

Saumi smirked and stepped back. Her body began to morph into another figure. Her hair curled itself up and turned into deep russet. The skin, once pale changed to healthy pink. She smiled like child at Irque, grey eyes sparkling with glee. Irque smirked at the immature behavior but shrugged it off. He then thought about the unconscious girl at the ground. They must take her back.

Irque walked past Saumi to Yuffie and picked her up in his strong arms. Saumi looked at him confused. "What are you doing?"

He glanced briefly back at her, but continued his way out of the alley. The fog had disappeared and the moon was setting down. "We have to take her back to her friends."

Saumi stared at him. "Why? She knows too much about this. She saw 'me' killing Dukam."

Irque chuckled. "No, she saw 'Arvin' killing Dukam." He hinted before he regained his composure. "Besides it would be a great aid to us, if they were also in search for her."

Saumi smiled at him before catching up with him, beginning their way towards The Kalmer.

----------------------

Cloud stared at the clock and tapped his fingers at surface of the table, waiting impatiently. _Where is she? _He thought while standing up. "She's been out for almost one hour."

Nanaki looked outside the window; he too was concerned about Yuffie. He had a feeling that something must have happened. She often took a walk at night, but she always came back after 20 minutes or so. _A feel a stir in the air_ He thought.

Vincent glanced around the bar. Tifa had left for the inn, Barret and Cid sat comfortable in chairs with their head downs, snoring. Some drool came from Cid's mouth and fell to the floor. Reeve read the day's newspaper, also waiting for Yuffie's arrival. The Turks had not reported for a while either.

Vincent took a deep sigh and closed his eyes, leaning against a wall. He remembered those grey eyes, which was filled with horror when Arvin stared in his crimson orbs. Why would she be frightened? She did not seem like a person that would not be scared of small details. Then the thought struck him.

_She must have seen Chaos_... He nearly smirked at the thought. It was no surprise; everyone and even he feared Chaos. He was the demon Vincent almost had no control over, Chaos was far stronger than the others.

His trail of thoughts was put on an end, when a hard knock came on the front door. Cloud walked to the door and opened it. He felt a wave of relief when he thought it was Yuffie. To his surprise he found two strangers wrapped in cloaks in front of him, but gasped when he saw Yuffie's limb form in the taller stranger's arms.

"Yuffie!"

Both Nanaki and Vincent were there on the second. Reeve quickly stood up from the table, knocking his chair the same time. Neither Barret nor Cid woke up by the sudden commotion, but their snoring ceased a little.

Cloud urged the two strangers inside and closed the door. The tall walked towards a couch and put Yuffie down. Cloud glared at them. "Who the hell are you? And what happened to Yuffie?!"

The strangers pulled back their hoods; revealing a young man in his thirties, and a younger woman. The man had short snow-white hair, slicked back. His eyes were steel blue and two black eyebrows hovering above them, the pale face was well chiseled and high cheekbones pointed out. The woman was sweet looking, grey eyes, heart shaped face and long brown curls framed her features. Cloud, who was still glaring at them, waited for a reply. The man saw his angered eyes and waved his hand. "Don't worry she's alright."

Cloud, Vincent, Nanaki and Reeve narrowed their eyes at the two, not uttering a word. _Well_...._this goes far_. "Let me introduce myself, my name is Irque." Irque bowed politely. The female stepped forward and also bowed.

"And my name is Saumi."

"Forgive us for being rude, but like I said earlier, your friend is alright." Irque stated.

"What happened?" Reeve asked concerned while eyeing Yuffie. Irque looked over at him.

"We found her in an alley getting beat down by another figure. The figure disappeared and we checked the girl for any injuries. Thankfully, Saumi had some healing experience and healed her." Irque answered calmly, gesturing towards Saumi who stood a few feet from him, proud.

"Another figure?" Cloud arched a golden eyebrow.

"Yes, it was a girl with blonde hair and whore a dark robe..." Irque said pondering.

_Arvin_. Cloud thought. She must have followed Yuffie. Reeve went over to shinobi and knelt down picking her up. He turned his head at his companions and said that he would take Yuffie to a room, were she could rest up. His friends nodded and turned their attention to Irque and Saumi. Reeve left towards the inn.

Vincent looked at Saumi and frowned, he had seen those eyes before. Saumi glanced towards the gunslinger, when she felt eyes on her. Once she locked her eyes with his, she wished that she never did. It was the same dark man from earlier, he with the crimson eyes. A moment passed before she cast her gaze to the floor. Irque saw his companion's nervous form and turned his eyes to Vincent. Vincent also turned his gaze to Irque. When their eyes locked, they both felt something snap inside them. The former Turk glared at the man; not trusting him by the look in his eyes. Irque's eyes were almost steel blue and held lies.

Irque did no trust the other man either, that man's eyes were blood red, like a demon's. But he had to admit, he looked like a man of Irque's lord. They both seemed to stare at each other for ages, without blinking.

Saumi stared between them both, wondering what was going on. She touched Irque's arm breaking the eye contact. Irque looked down at Saumi and saw the concern written in her eyes. He then shook his head. "....we should get going." He put his hood back on and strode towards the door. Saumi looked confused at him then pulled her hood back on, she followed him out. The door closed leaving Cloud and the others alone in the bar.

Cloud glanced at Vincent with a questioning look. Vincent just walked back and leaned against the wall, ignoring Cloud's stare. Nanaki and Cloud exchanged glances before dismissing that event. Reeve came back from the inn and searched for the couple.

"They left." Cloud stated to him. Reeve nodded and walked back to the table, finishing his reading.

Vincent thought about Irque, he felt something inside him at the presence of him. It also made his demons react. And that girl, she had the same eyes as Arvin. _Could they be related?_ He thought. This made his decision much clearer, Arvin had caused more pain for his friends, and for that, Arvin will pay.

Reeve's PHS started to ring, and he answered quickly. "Yes.....where......alright, yes of course.......bye." He switched it of and glanced at his friends, his face held shock.

"There's been a murder in an alley...."

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Yuffie stirred in her sleep. She was standing near a cliff, staring in horror at the scene before her. A big city with a beautiful palace was engulfed by raging fire. The people were screaming in pain and agony. Some of them lay dead on the ground, blood oozing from big cuts, while some were alive enveloped in those flames. She then saw a figure at the end of the cliff, its back facing her. Yuffie ran to the figure and stopped a few meters away. Long hair danced in the wind and a witch hat with a long tip, swayed. In its right hand was a long staff that was clenched tight by the grip. The ninja gasped when she noticed two ebony feathered wings, sprouting on the back. The figure turned around and Yuffie jumped back in shock, it was Arvin. Except this time, Arvin was not smiling or smirking, instead she saw something much more terrifying; she was crying. Thin lines of crystal tears streaked down her cheeks. Yuffie was shocked; she gazed in her eyes and found them not grey, but red. Red, like fresh blood.

Yuffie screamed waking up in cold sweat. Her body shook and she felt someone's arms encircling her frame, in soothing way.

"Relax Yuffie, it was only a dream."

Yuffie glanced up at the figure's face, it was Tifa. She had been worried when she heard the news about Yuffie from Reeve, and decided to watch her incase something happened. The small ninja hugged Tifa tightly, letting some tears flow down her face. Tifa stroke her hair and whispered calming words. When Yuffie calmed down she laid back down the bed and let out a deep sigh. She looked around, trying to register were she was. She was in a room with cream-colored walls, some light-blue curtains hung by the window. The bed was deep brown and the sheets were also blue. Near the door were an armchair, were Yuffie's clothes hung neatly. Yuffie cast a confused look at Tifa, who smiled back at her. Suddenly the door opened and in came Cloud and Vincent.

"We heard a scream, are you too alright?" Cloud asked concerned.

Tifa nodded. "Don't worry, we're okay."

Cloud nodded and made his way towards Yuffie, he put his hand on her shoulder. "Yuffie, can you tell us what happened?"

Yuffie thought for a moment before nodding.

----------------------------

"So you saw Arvin rip out his heart?" Cloud asked feeling his anger rise.

".....yes, but not only that. That man's blood was also black." Yuffie said in fear, hugging her knees. She had told them the whole story about the whole event in the alley, and the man who saved her. The young shinobi was glad that the man had brought her here, but knit her brow when only small details were recalled.

Cloud sat in deep thought while Tifa was stroking Yuffie's hand in comfort. Vincent leaned against the wall, pondering over the story. Tifa got up from the bed. "Yuffie get some rest, we'll go down and talk with the others."

Both Tifa and Cloud left the door and Vincent followed shortly. "Vincent?"

Vincent turned around to the addresser. "Yes?"

Yuffie hesitated a moment before answering. "I had a nightmare....it was about a city. I was terrible! The city was in flames.....and Arvin was there-"

"It was only a dream Yuffie." Vincent replied and began to walk out down the hall.

"But....I could feel the heat." Yuffie whispered not knowing if Vincent heard or not. But Vincent did hear and stopped in his tracks. Why was he bothered with this, it was only a dream after all. True that dreams was a way for the body to relax, but he himself had nightmares every night and they felt so alive, like he was there physically. Dreams came for a reason, not just by exhaustion. Vincent shook his head and continued his way down.

_**To be continued...**_

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It may have been shorter I don't know. I guess not all chapters will be equally long but they will improve if you don't like them at all. I'm rewriting the next chapter and it will update about next week or so. Thanks Crescent-Wish-Forever for your encouraging reviews and support. Please send me reviews in all kinds of your like.


	6. A new threat

Thanks for your cheering reviews, it lightens me up. I think I have time to update the next rewritten chapters (up to ten) at the end of the upcoming weeks. Then you have to wait longer. :(

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**_Chapter 5:_ A new threat **

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Sunrays broke inside the small room casting a golden glow. Grey eyes opened groggily and a soft yawn came out. Yuffie did not get so much sleep after the previous escapade she had in the alley, the nightmare included. Even if Vincent said it was just a dream, it felt like she was there. The people and their screams of pain, enveloped in a flaming inferno in that big citadel, it was too real to be a dream. That city looked antique, similar to the Ancient capital in the Northern Continent. But the architecture was slightly different. Yuffie had traveled a lot in her life, but she never saw a city of that kind.

The thought about the forgotten city made her think about her sweet friend, Aeris. The flower girl was the one that acted like an older sister to her and she never treated Yuffie any different. Though, she was rather upset about the 'materia episode'.

"Aeris.....gawd I miss you..." Yuffie whispered to herself, hugging her knees. After a moment in silence to respect her friend, she got of the bed and picked up her clothes from the armchair. She put them on and quickly combed her hair with her fingers, and began her way down to the others.

Yuffie came down to the reception and glanced around. There was a small room away from the welcome desk, for travelers to rest up before heading away. The room contained a small coffee table and two green sofas, facing each other. The walls were cream colored and a red carpet covered the wooden floor. Some her teammates, who sat around of the table appeared to be in a deep conversation. Yuffie could see Cloud and Reeve standing near the door, also talking. The Turks were no were to be seen.

The ninja was now confused by this 'conversation' that everyone seemed to have and walked towards Tifa, who stood beside the desk staring down at the floor. "Hey Tif, what's going on?"

Tifa glanced up at her and sighed. "Arvin caused so much pain and fear last night. The Turks reported about the murder in the alley, and the townspeople are terrified." She nodded to Cloud.

"Cloud is now discussing about what we should do." Then she gestured towards the others by the table.

"Vincent and Nanaki are set to hunt her down; they sense something about her."

Yuffie glanced over to the others and saw Vincent and Nanaki with their gear ready. Red waved his tail back and forward, making the fiery end dance like flames.

_Fire_

__

She could again see the city of her dreams in front of her, seeing the flames swallow everything it touches. Yuffie shook her head, eagerly wanting to forget the whole dream, but it was futile.

"Tifa, I...had a dream last night." Tifa nodded for her for continuing. "About a city, a city corrupted by fire. People who died and....." Yuffie stopped, biting her lower lip. She wondered if it was a good idea to tell her about Arvin's presence in the dream, or not.

"...and?"

"...nothing, it was only a dream anyway." Yuffie said staring down the floor. Tifa knew it was something else that bothered her, but decided to let that drop.....for now.

Vincent sat by the table in deep thought, he and Nanaki were planning to hunt for Arvin, but Cloud was concerned about it. They all witnessed her strength and it surpassed their own, combined. He sighed and gazed out through the opened window to his left. Clouds had grown darker in the horizon which proclaimed a raging storm.

A crow suddenly came and landed on the windowsill, glancing around. Vincent arched an eyebrow but continued to stare at the dark bird. He remember what an old man told him when he was young; that a raven symbolized life and good fortune, while the crow were a sign for the opposite, death and bad luck. The black bird locked its eyes with Vincent and cocked its head, as it was trying to tell him something.

A light cough came from Cloud, making Vincent and the others turn their heads. "Well, as you all probably know; Vincent and Red XIII will go after Arvin." He received nods and continued. "And I will be joining in their hunt."

The rest of AVALANCHE members were staring wide-eyed at their leader. Was he insane? Crazy enough to let Vincent and Red go, but a third person? "Oh for #/(&# God's sake Cloud! You'll all be riding the rollercoaster of death!" Cid yelled bringing his hand up, smacking his head in frustration.

"Yeah, I'm with Cid. We all saw what she is capable of, not to mention what Yuffie saw with her own eyes." Tifa replied with pain in her eyes. She was deeply concerned about Cloud's safety.

Cloud sighed and looked at her. "Tifa, I know it will be hard to even track her down. The Turks reported that she was gone without leaving any clues, but she is a threat to people.....maybe even the world. I'm not gonna sit here and wait for her next attack."

Tifa nodded in defeat. "Besides, Yuffie heard the conversation between Dukam and Arvin, and she failed to kill her. Arvin might be back to finish what she started." Red added. Yuffie went pale, she never thought about that.

"That's why we bring her with us." Cloud stated.

"What?!" Yuffie practically screamed, receiving everyone's attention. "In-hell-I-am! Like Cid said, it'll be a suicide mission!"

"...Yuffie, do you care about your people in Wutai?" Vincent asked in monotone.

She stared at him, what kind of question was that? "Of course I do!"

Vincent's eyes bored deep into Yuffie's. "If you care for their safety, then you'll come with us. Arvin will search for you, and she will in time know the fact that you are from Wutai. She would take that as an advantage to get to you. Arvin failed to kill you twice; it's rather inaccurately that she will let that happen a third time. This kind of pattern she shows makes it clear that she will do what it will take to end her task." He replied with no sign of emotion in his voice.

Yuffie heard her heart beating heavy in her eardrums. If she returned to her country, Arvin would kill her people to get her, she could not risk it. However if she tag along on the journey, Arvin would eventually kill her. Yuffie mentally smirked; she could see herself standing in a roads end, splitting in two, both that lead to early death, ironic.

Silence crept in the room. Each did not know what to say at this kind of situation. Seconds passed when a croaking sound was heard. Everyone turned their gazes towards the window. The black crow croaked at them and jumped a little. Vincent frowned, never had he seen a crow do that.

"Oh screw it! I'm comin' too!" Barret's voice barked, startling everyone, even the crow. Cloud looked at him slightly puzzled, waiting for the answer of the sudden choice. Barret cleared his throat. "Well I'm not gonna let a psychopath terrorizing the world and let my Marlene get worried. So I'm comin' too!"

"Oh for God's sake, count me in! My Highwind could do some of the help with transport." Cid cheered and trashed the cigarette in a tray.

"I and the Turks could be some kind of help as well." Reeve added.

Cloud smiled slightly and looked over at the martial artist. "Well, that leaves you Tifa."

Tifa glanced around, noticing that everyone was eyeing her, waiting for her answer.

"...all right."

The swordsman nodded. "Okay, then that's settled." He turned to the others.

"Cid, you get the Highwind ready." Cid saluted.

"Barret, you get the item supplies." Barret nodded at the order. Cloud turned to Yuffie and Tifa.

"You'll get some armor." They both gave a slight nod, disliking the whole idea.

"Reeve, call the Turks and inform them. Oh, and fix Cait Sith, we would need his assistance." Reeve also nodded and flipped up his phone. Cloud then turned to Red and Vincent. "We have to come up with a destination." They exchanged looks with each other before nodding as well. Receiving all his comrades' acknowledgments, he gave the last order;

"Move out!"

All of them left the inn, except for the three males. Nanaki discussed with Cloud, while Vincent glanced again at the bird by the window. He was still surprised to see that the crow had not flown away, after all this commotion. Vincent's eyes locked with the crows and frowned. In the right angle, the gunslinger could detect a red glow, like cat's eyes in darkness.

Suddenly Vincent's vision caught something dancing on the wall to his right. The small shadow of a candle on the table before him was moving to some extent. Then it slowly began to grow darker. Vincent narrowed his eyes and stared intensely at odd shade.

"_Lusa pylg_._ Du Asgar fa femm dyga oui_._"_

__

Vincent darted is eyes in search for the voice. There were no one else besides him and his two comrades and the desk clerk, who was reading the newspaper, so where did it come from? He glanced back at the shadow on the wall. It grew darker and increased in size, still moving. The former Turk glanced over at his comrades; they were still talking, not noticing what was happening.

"_Tyngacd ghekrdc rayn rec lymm, dra desa crymm lusa yht dra yhkam femm vymm_._"_

__

Vincent shot up and by reflex reached for his gun. Cloud and Nanaki whirled around by their friend's sudden action and saw his hand on the Death Penalty, staring at the cream colored wall before him. The blonde swordsman frowned at his behavior and glanced at the same wall. His frowned deepened when he saw nothing except a thin shadow of a candle.

"Vincent?" Cloud asked tearing away his gaze from the wall.

The gunslinger did not answer and continued to stare at the shadow. It continued to move but by now it had an odd shape of a creature in profile. It was hunched and a skeletal body, its back was bent and its head was slightly bigger. It looked like a zombie, or in that way. Neither Cloud nor Nanaki saw or heard what he just had, for some reason.

"_Dra cuh uv dra pmylg cih ec kuha, frana ec rec tyikrdan uv vena?"_

__

He could see its mouth move while it spoke, or rather moaned. The voice was dark, deep and was very hoarse. The language was alien to him, not being able to detect one word in any of those sentences he received.

"Vincent, what is it?"

The dark man turned to the voice and stared at Cloud blankly. He then looked back at the shadow but found it vanished, the creature had reverted back to the candle it present with. Vincent scanned the wall for any signs of the odd shade, but everything was as was jut minutes ago. He felt Cloud's eyes on him, waiting for a response. Vincent shook his head.

"Nothing."

He closed his crimson eyes before setting his gaze on the windowsill. The crow was gone.

-----------------------

A woman stood by the alley, were the murder had taken place. Her long grey hair swayed in the breeze, while the black witch hat cast her upper face in shadows. She had a long dark grey dress, with a small black coat covering her shoulders. On her left shoulder sat a raven, both staring at the scene in silence. The bodies that once painted the dark scenery had been moved but the blood was still there.

"...monstrous." She spoke in a low voice. The raven croaked loudly in agreement. She could smell the foul stench of rotten flesh and death. However, it was not a foreign sight for her. She had witnessed plenty of massacres events in her younger years. The woman then turned her gaze up the sky.

"Soon he will show his true power over us." She took a deep sigh and saw a faint silhouette a bird flying towards her. A pale hand reached out and the bird landed with ease. The crow croaked and flapped its wings. The woman then nodded.

"So, the hunt has begun."

She woman then turned and began walking away from the alley, disappearing in the shadows with the two birds.

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Cloud, Vincent and Nanaki sat down by the table, discussing where they should go. Many suggestions came, but none was good enough. A time later in silence, Red spoke up. "We could go to Cosmo Canyon."

Vincent and Cloud looked at him with confused looks. Red saw their puzzlement and continued; "There are old some books and scrolls my grandfather collected due time, it might hold some facts about this 'Arvin' and maybe something other useful information. Beside I want to pay my respect to grandfather and father."

Cloud scratched his head and shrugged. "Well it's a long shot, but it's the best so far." Vincent nodded. Cloud brought out his PHS and dialed Cid, giving the orders that they would fly over to Cosmo Canyon. But before they head there, they had to stop by the Chocobo stable. It might be good idea to have some of their own Chocobos with them.

Vincent sat brooding in his chair, staring back at the wall. Nanaki looked up at him.

"What's bothering you?"

Vincent turned his gaze to the feline and sighed.

"I fear that there is more behind the shadow than meets the eye."

**_To be continued..._**

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Can a weekend get any better, messing with the computer, drink green tea and eat a bar of Marabou chocolate (mmm....marabou). This is a nice way to spend the evening.glance around oh your done...hehe...nothing to read here.....eheheh...he....ah crew it.

I'm in a cheery mood today, why I don't know....maybe they spiced my tea or my candy. Please send me a review and have a very nice weekend!


	7. Dweller of the Past

Hi, back again. School's killing me. My day ends after five o'clock, a real pain in the . Anyway, here's the next chapter, enjoy. Oh, before you go reading this one, I must warn you.

**Warning!**

This chapter may hold a tiny spoiler from the Advent Children film, but it's very tiny.

You have been warned.

Enjoy!

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**_Chapter 6:_ Dweller of the Past**

****

Yuffie examined the Minerva Band; her old one was torn and worn off, not giving the defense as it was supposed to. She and Tifa had been checking the armor for a half an hour and neither of them talked during the time, probably because both opposed the whole idea about this. The ninja felt slightly afraid. Her experience as a materia hunter, made her watch certain people for their colorful orbs. But Arvin had none. No summon no magic, no support or independent. Her first thought was it would have been an enemy-skill materia, but there was no command. Arvin did not even call out a spell for that matter.

Tifa stared through the glass were the armlets laid. They could be in need of a Dragon Armlet, protects them from powerful fire, lightning and ice attacks. But she did no move to purchase it.

_This is wrong_.

She felt it, something was wrong. Why this, why now, it did not make any sense. There was something that made her shudder, that was about to happen.

"Tifa?"

The older woman turned around.

"Yes?"

"Do you think we'll find Arvin?" Yuffie asked in a low voice. Tifa turned back to the bangles and spoke low, almost whispered.

"...I don't know, Yuffie."

Yuffie could hear the apprehension in her voice and knew the cause.

"You're worried about Cloud aren't you?"

Tifa's gaze turned upwards slightly, staring at the wall in front of her. "Cloud...can take care of himself," The martial artist replied calmly. She tried to sound impassive but failed miserably. Her burgundy eyes fell to the floor, a small smile tugged the corners of her lips. "...but I guess that's just a pathetic excuse. I care for him, and I can't just sit and think he'll be all right."

"What do you mean?" The ninja asked puzzled.

Tifa turned around, facing her again. "Something is about to happen, I feel it... I just don't know what."

Yuffie frowned and started to walk towards the brunette. "What does it feel like?"

_Indeed, what does it feel like? _She could not tell. Thousand of sensations battled inside her. She closed her eyes. "Something cold, like icy water surrounding me...." _Drowning me_. "It's like I know what's going to happen, but when the truth is I don't." Tifa spoke. She opened her eyes and stared at Yuffie.

The young shinobi looked worriedly at her friend. "Know what you mean. Knowing that a friend is in trouble and all you can do is stand and watch...really pains one's heart. Cloud's not alone though, he's got us. Sure he can be an idiot sometimes but, a really nice idiot to look at."

Tifa blinked then she smiled mischievously at the younger girl. "Oh really?"

Yuffie's face colored and she glared at Tifa. "In a friendly way!" She half yelled, trying not to stutter. The ninja then cast her eyes on the armor beside her. "Besides, he's got materia I want."

The brunette chuckled. "I'm just teasing you Yuffie." A thought came to her mind and her smile grew.

"Vincent is rather handsome too, you know."

"Yeah, he is." Yuffie deadpanned. Noticing her remark, her cheeks colored even more and she nearly beat herself for that answer.

The older woman smiled at the tomato red ninja, pleased with the reaction she received. "Oh, Yuffie's got a crush on Vincent!" She teased.

If it was even possible for Yuffie to get any further scarlet, she would have. "I am not! I just think he's cute-"_Shit!_ "...l-l-like Cloud and..."

"Barret?"

"...no!"

"Cid?"

"Gawd no!!"

"How about Reeve then?"

"Tifa!!"

-------------------------

"It's futile to for all of us to search together." A deep voice broke in.

The blonde woman glanced at the bald man, then back to the others. "I agree with Rude."

Reeve crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair. He and the Turks sat in the bar; discussing the orders Cloud had given. Rude was right, it would be useless if all searched together. It would only lead to bad consequences. They could however split up, since there were two directions Arvin could have fled.

"In this location, she could have run either towards Midgar or the Grassland area." Reeve confirmed, glancing at the three former Turks.

Reno nodded in agreement. "And since Cloud and his little ragtag gang, are heading towards Cosmo Canyon, we should head to Midgar."

Elena and Rude approved the idea and turned to Reeve. The former Shinra employee nodded and brought up his phone.

"Midgar it is then." He confirmed before dialing Cloud.

Elena stifled a yawn and leant back in the chair. The thought of the blonde swordsman entered her mind.

"Speaking of Cloud, where is he?"

Rude glanced outside, staring at the mountains west of Midgar. "A place where he died and got reborn."

"Huh?" Elena blinked perplexed.

"The place where you can say it began." Reno replied, smirking at Elena's expression. That poor blonde boy was still dwelling in his own world.

".....?"

Rude stared at the blonde woman; a small smirk crossed his lips.

"You'll understand in time."

-------------------------

"All right. Just be careful, we don't know what we're up against." He replied before he hung up.

A young man, early in his twenties, walked up to the end of the mount. Far ahead lay what was rest of Midgar. The Sister Ray pointed out towards the ocean, totally wrecked. He remembered clearly when the cannon fired and shot through the Diamond Weapon as the energy hit the barrier, in the Northern Crater.

That was months ago. But before that, about a year ago, a friend died. Cloud stared down at the ground before him. This is where he died and this is where Cloud was when it happened. He unseated the Buster sword and shoved the blade down the earth.

The swordsman bowed his head in a silent prayer before he walked away. He climbed on the motorcycle he borrowed from Kalm and glanced back at the 'grave'.

_All I did was watch_.

With that, he drove away.

The wind soared against him as he steered through the plains of Midgar. Beside him laid another blade, the Ragnarok, ready to aid its owner when necessary. The swordsman held the bike steady against the rough ground and gazed ahead. Midgar was edging closer and Kalm could be detected beyond it. However, something stood not far away from one the massive gates of the city that caught the blonde's attention. Normally, he would expect it to be a monster or some other kinds of beasts, but this one had an odd shape for a monster. It was very slender and short, more humanlike. Cloud squint his eyes at the form.

Blue eyes slightly widened in surprise before narrowing. His right hand gripped the Ragnarok firmly and he increased the speed.

That was no monster.

-------------------------

Tifa smiled to herself. Yuffie was still fuming and muttered incoherent curses to her. She knew that the ninja had a weak spot for the gunman. Despite the fact that she was a little freaked out when they met him in the mansion, there was a flash in Yuffie's eyes. Of course, the ninja always denied the fact but when time passed, she grew quite fond of Vincent's presence. And that made Yuffies 'secret' intention more noticeable for her.

She picked up the bracelet she had been watching earlier, and turned to make her way towards the counter. Her journey was cut off short when she suddenly collided with something hard, making her loose her balance. Tifa gave out a muffled sound when she landed on the ground and Yuffie turned around at the sudden commotion. When she noticed her comrade sitting on the floor, she headed for her. The martial artist glanced up and saw a man looking down at her.

The man was about 6 feet tall, appeared to be in his late twenties. His features was pale, he had a well chiseled face with a thin growing mustache, and brown eyes. The hair was thick, shoulder length and deep brown with wavy locks. He whore a long-sleeved black sweater and dark grey pants, the tips of black boots peeked out. The man held out his hand to the fallen girl with an apologetic look.

"Pardonnez-moi chéri. J'étais vers le haut dans les nuages."

Tifa stared at him before taking his hand. Once she got up on her feet, she brushed off the dust from her skirt and looked up at him.

The man smiled kindly. "Ce n'est pas chaque jour où vous traversez votre route avec un ange."

She blinked at him, confused. "Huh?"

The man raised a brown eyebrow, before he smiled awkwardly at the woman. "Vous ne parlez pas français, non." He replied, more like a statement than a question.

Both women stared. The man tried once more.

"Deutsch?"

Yuffie blinked.

"Italiano?"

Tifa blinked. He sighed, massaging his temples, last chance.

"Español?"

Yuffie stood by Tifa, totally perplexed, not being able to understand what he just said. She cleared her throat and smiled warily and turned her attention to her friend. "What did he just say?" She whispered in her ear.

The man caught the sentence and chuckled, making the females look back at him.

"Ah! You speak English, why did you not say so?!" He said with a form accent.

"Hey, who do you think you are?!" Yuffie spoke out loud.

The man glanced at her and shook his, still smiling. "My apologies, I usually don't speak English so often. I thought for sure that you were...." He went on but stopped when he saw the looks they sent out. The man scratched his head. "Never mind."

The shinobi frowned at him and leaned to Tifa's ear again. "He's creeping me out."

Tifa just stood still, not sure if she should talk or not. Usually, she would have no problem to talk with other people, but this man made it somewhat difficult. He was very handsome if you took a good look at him.

The man must have read her uneasiness in her features, he cleared his throat.

"I'm so sorry." He spoke with a deep voice and gave a bow. "I'm Jacques Chimeara, a mere visitor to this lovely town of Kalm." Jacques looked up and smiled warmlt. "And you are?"

Tifa and Yuffie glance at each other before they found their voices and also smiled.

"I'm Tifa Lockheart." The brunette spoke up and gesture towards the ninja.

"And this is Yuffie Kisaragi." Yuffie grinned at him and stretched out her hand.

"Nice to meet ya!"

Jacques smiled at Yuffie and shook her hand. He turned to Tifa and held out his hand. The older woman smiled shyly before she reached her own. She nearly jumped in surprise when he brought her hand to his lips, giving a small kiss. A blush crept over her cheeks and cast her eyes to the floor, hiding the sudden flush. No man had done that to her.

Yuffie caught the pink on her face and smiled impishly. Looks like Tifa got a little admirer.

"A pleasure to meet you misses Lockheart and Kisaragi."

Both women blushed. Yuffie, feeling very uncomfortable, walked back to the armors again. Tifa got her hand back and started to twirl a brown lock, slightly edgy. She got the impression that the man was from the earlier years, when woman still bore corsets.

Tifa was brought back to reality when a ringing sound reached her ears. She excused herself before answering the phone.

"Tifa here."

She frowned by the attacking male voice in the other line.

"Wait, slow...do-....what do you mea-?"

She stuttered, trying to interrupt the man but silenced when she heard the words. The caller hung up. Tifa stood still, shocked by the call.

Jacques and Yuffie looked at her in concern.

"What is it, Tif?" Yuffie asked edging closer to her friend. Jacques stayed behind; feeling like it was none of his business.

The AVALANCHE member put the phone back in her pocket and turned around. Burgundy eyes were glazed with worry. "It's Cloud...."

_**To be continued...**_

**__**

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I have to apologies for my writing. I'm always a poor author when it comes to a novel's beginning. This novel's beginning is bad written, no actual plot, out of characters, and importantly, no real answer or reason at the question 'why?'

I'm not in mood to recreate the whole beginning at this time, will probably waiting until the whole story is finished.

Again I'm sorry for a pitiable excuse for my writing, but I assure it will get better in the future.


	8. The fall of the knight

**_Chapter 7:_ The fall of the knight.**

Jacques stood confused by the unexpected expression of the two women. But, he was not surprised. Why would he? Many people have their own problems, problems he did not often care about. However, the girl showed extreme worry and pain, and being the gentleman as he was, he would not let a lady feel troubled without knowing the reason.

"Who is this Cloud?"

Tifa did not answer his question but turned to Yuffie. "We have to get to Midgar, and fast."

"Why, what's wrong with Spike?" Yuffie asked, still confused but mostly concerned about the swordsman.

"Spike?" Jacques spoke out loud.

"I...I'm not sure, but I know it's about Arvin." Tifa replied, staring at the floor while her mind replayed the memory. "I didn't understand what he said, but I know he's near Midgar as we speak."

"Is this Spike a dog?" Jacques asked out loud, trying to fill in the information he was lacking.

Neither Yuffie nor Tifa seemed to notice Jacques attempts to get some answers. He was stubborn when he wanted to be, but he was curious. Especially when women were the head subject of a conversation.

Then the name Arvin entered his mind.

_Arvin, that sounds familiar_. He frowned. The name did ring a bell but his memory had become rusty over the years.

"How do you know he's near Midgar?" Yuffie continued, feeling a little anxious about this dilemma.

"Cloud said, before he left, that he had a place to visit. It's somewhere near the mountains, south of Midgar. I don't think he would take the risk, even if he's tempted, to go off on his own. Cloud can be impatient but he's not that revengeful, especially against an enemy he has little information about." She spoke before she strode out from the shop, eager to get to Cloud fast as possible.

Yuffie and Jacques stood behind, letting the words sink in. The black clad man turned to the girl beside him. "What was that all about?"

The ninja sighed and lowered her head. "She's got much on her mind right now; it's a little tough for her to bear." She replied simply and then followed shortly after Tifa. By the door, she turned and waved to Jacques.

"It was nice to meet you Jacques!" She exclaimed and disappeared. Outside he could hear the high calls from the teenager.

"Hey Tifa! Wait up!"

Jacques shook his head. "Goodbye...Lockheart." He watched from the window as the two women retreated back in the town. The angel's hair danced behind her as she dashed outside. Jacques smiled to himself, that girl was a true beauty, enough to send any man over the edge.

_Chéri...vous avez en effet fermé mon coeur dans votre paume de petite_. He knew it was true, that girl...no, woman had caught his attention far more easily than any other women he met.

His eyes tore away from the closed door, when a shining object on the floor caught his eye. Looking down, he noticed the abandoned Dragon Armlet. Jacques bent down and picked it up. He smiled; the warmth of her was still present. Brown eyes closed momentarily before he stood up. A deep chuckle escaped his chest.

_We'll meet again, chéri_.

----------------------

Tifa ran through the streets and halted when she came to the square. Her eyes darted around, trying to detect any sign of where her friends could be. She heard the hasty footsteps behind her and expected them to be Yuffie's. As she thought, the ninja came up by her side, also searching for the gang.

The shinobi's eyes landed on the bar. "I'll go the bar; Reeve and the Turks should be there." She said and ran off towards the Kalmer. Tifa nodded softly to herself and glanced at the town's exit. _I hope you're all right_.

Her eyes tore from the plains and wandered over the town. She noticed two figures standing near the inn. One was clad in black and red while the other was crouched down on all four. Tifa sighed in relief and ran towards them.

"Vincent, Red!"

Both the gunman and the feline turned around, as she came towards them. They noticed the worried expression the martial artist showed.

"What is it Tifa?" Red asked in concern while he stepped forward

Tifa breathed heavily, both from tension and slight panic. "Cloud called, I think he's in trouble."

"Why is that?" Vincent inquired in his usual tone. Tifa would have almost thought that he did not care about the blonde, but by the time of the meteor, she knew his charisma.

"The line was in a bad state, but I heard Cloud's voice, shouting about Arvin. I also heard battling sounds, I think she's with him." She continued, glancing up at the gunslinger.

Vincent lowered his head slightly in thought before looking up again. "Where is he?"

"Somewhere near Midgar."

The dark man nodded and passed the female fighter, towards the exit. Tifa turned confused. "Where are you going?"

Vincent did not turn around. "Call the others and head towards Midgar."

"But-"

"Tifa let him go."

Tifa turned to Red with puzzled eyes. The feline looked up at her. "Vincent knows what he's doing, have faith in him. Let's go and find the others." He responded and walked off in the opposite direction.

The former bar hostess glanced back to see Vincent strode through the egress. His cape swayed in the breeze behind him, like a river of blood.

With one last glance at the silent gunman, she turned around and followed Red.

---------------------

Arvin kicked him forceful in the abdomen, sending the other blonde to the ground. She swiftly dashed towards Midgar, grabbing her sword on the way. Her adrenaline pulsed through her veins, making her pick up the speed. The swordsman quickly recovered from the attack and rushed to the abandon motorcycle, ignoring the pain that grew in his body. He steadied the bike and climbed and with no hesitation, he drove off after the fleeing girl. The blood that trickled down from his brow fell on the ground by the speed. His cure materia healed him partially but his body still lacked on energy.

Arvin did not bother to glance back, when the sound of the motorcycle reached her ears. She sped up, though she knew that it was useless. Indeed she was a fast runner, but comparing to a speeding motorcycle, there were a huge difference. She terribly wished she had brought a chocobo. A chocobo was the only living being that could outrun a vehicle, save for a monster.

_What a life I'm living_. _Wanted person in different parts of the Planet, high price on my head for bounty hunters_..._and a blonde hedgehog with a big kitchen knife chasing me for whatever reason_. Arvin thought sarcastically. As sins for the past decades could not be enough, there had to be more humans after her.

The train of thought broke when the vehicle drove closer. A wave of relief washed over her when one of the iron gates of the wrecked city, was not far away. Fortunately for her, the gate was damaged and was granted with a small gap, caused by a heavy bar of metal that positioned between the two doors. However, Cloud realized the difficulty with this, though not for Arvin but for himself. Indeed the gate was wrecked; nevertheless, the motorcycle could not maneuver fast enough through the debris. For a final attempt, he unseated the sword and sped up to maximum, not wanting to let her escape.

He failed.

Once the killer came close enough, Arvin jumped up on the iron bar and slid through the opening. She landed on the other side and quickly disappeared by the piles of junk.

Cloud released the accelerator and pulled the breaks. Noticing the gate edging closer, he turned the bike to its side and put his right foot to slide on the ground. He managed to stop the motorcycle in time before it hit the wreckage. Once it stopped, he glared at the fleeing figure.

Cloud cursed loudly when seeing her form disappear behind the rubbles. She was gone...again. He wasted no time; he picked up his phone.

---------------------

Cloud was gone. Vincent was nowhere to be seen. And the others were onboard the Highwind, on their way to Midgar. Tifa, Yuffie and Red had successively gathered the rest, and Cid already had his ship ready when he was called. Back when the Holy burst out from the crater, the Highwind had transformed into its emergency vessel, incase something great like would happened. Though the new modification, the ship was not built for surviving too long. Once the Crisis was over, Cid had left for Rocket Town and mended the Highwind. It was now an improvement, the damage was fixed, parts were replaced but he kept the small form it now had. Easier to maneuver, lighter and faster, to say the least, Cid was proud.

The Turks stood on the deck, scanning for any sign of the battle. Reeve sat in the command room, repairing the robot. Cid stood by the controls, Barret loaded his gun arm, Yuffie was probably in a corner dealing with her motion sickness, Red XIII and Tifa stood in the front, staring outside. The City of Midgar was growing as they came nearer.

Cid cast a glance at Tifa, seeing the worried look in her eyes. "Calm down Tif, he's a tough boy. I don't think Cloud woul' let someone like her kick his ass." He replied, trying to lighten the mood.

Tifa nodded and let a small smile grace her lips._ Please be all right Cloud_.

Reeve sighed and rubbed his temples as the electronic failed to restart. "...damn."

"I thought you had the brains for this. Come on use the grey cells of yours!" A small yet edgy voice spoke behind him. Reeve groaned and leant back.

"The chip and wires are damaged; I'll need electrical equipment for this." He responded and glanced by his side as the figure came in view. "Just like I said five minutes ago, Cait."

The cat grinned and climbed up to the doll. "Well I'm gonna keep asking until it's finished. I feel restless by just walking here, not doing anything particular, above all in this ground level!"

The former Shinra employee chuckled. "Good for you then, any other cats would totally agree with you." He replied ironically. Reeve laughed a little at the annoyed cat, when he understood what he meant.

Cait was about to counter the remark but Reeve's phone beat him to it. The man sighed and took out his cell phone.

"Hope it's the pizza delivery."

Reeve ignored the cat's comment and answered. "Reeve."

His fatigue expression disappeared as it got replaced by surprise. "Cloud?!"

Cait yelped and fell of the mog by the man's outburst. He climbed up again and watched Reeve standing by his chair, all ears to the caller on the other line.

"Where...all right, which sector?" Reeve asked. "Okay, sector six slums, near Wall Market." He replied and turned to the small cat, waving away with his hand. Cait got the signal and scurried off to the bridge. Reeve watched as the tiny figure left.

"All right, we're on our way. You met Vincent yet?" He inquired.

He sighed. "No? Well he's on his way to Midgar by ground."

"....yes, he may be in another sector....all right, we meet you there." Then he hung up.

----------------------

Red eyes scanned down over the streets. People strode through and vehicles drew by, no one seemed to notice the dark figure watching them from afar.

Empty.

He ran towards the edge and jumped over to the next building. She could not have made it far. He was aware that searching through the slums would be waste of time. The girl was an experienced fighter, and knew the intentions of being hunted. That was one of the things he learned as a Turk, the target will escape in any way as possible. The common premise against burglars and amateurs was to hide where people do not search; it is then when their theory is proved wrong. The skilled ones had a far superior trick, to blend in with the crowd.

And that was what Arvin had done, she was somewhere above the plate.

---------------------

Cloud drove through the slums of Sector Six. The others should be near Midgar by now, but he had no idea of where Vincent was. The gunman could not be reached by the PHS, either the man had shut it off or he ignored it. The swordsman groaned loudly, he wanted to find Arvin and get this over with. He drove up where the trains of sector six passed by. Since sector seven was still in rubble, the trains made their stops in between.

A train passed by him with high speed. Instinctively, he threw a glance at the red train. If it was by luck or just mere coincidence, he did not know nor did he care. On the roof clung a young female with blonde hair, wearing an old coat and a red scarf that swayed in the wind.

Cloud sped up and drove by it. Arvin glanced at her right side and groaned when she noticed the swordsman from before. He was a stubborn boy. The train whistled, Arvin glanced ahead and so did Cloud. They both saw the tunnel just a few yards away. The leader had no choice but to wait, there was no way both vehicles could pass through at the same time.

At this, Arvin smiled at Cloud before he slowed down, letting the train pass. Once the train had entered the tunnel, Cloud hit the accelerator and went after the assassin.

----------------------

Laughter echoed through the plaza as the children watched the jester's small tricks. The man was six feet tall, very slim and wore a tight black jumper and black slacks. Sometimes, he would show up in colorful clothes and painted face, but he mostly dressed like regular civilian. His hair was in a tone between white and silver, all messed up with a few spikes. His eyes were midnight blue that glowed with simple joy. A smile is a gift from the heart, but a child's smile was a gift no one could buy.

Even if they were magical tricks, children loved him. The harlequin always showed up in the plaza, performing different acts for the kids. No one knew who he really was and where he lived, since he never talked. The adults though did not bother, the jester made them laughs and smile, it was enough.

"Do some more!" A girl cried out to be soon followed by the rest.

The magician smiled and crouched down before her. He picked up a stone from the ground and gently enveloped it with his hands. Curious eyes watched as he blew on his clasped hands, before he motioned them to the small girl. She smiled and also blew gently on them. The man waited for a moment and then he opened them. Gasps of wonder and surprise erupted from the small crowd as the white dove sat tamely in his palms.

The girl watched wide-eyed as the white bird cocked its head in different direction. The jester then gave a small motion upwards, making the dove fly off.

Children were happy, the adults were happy but the man was not. As he saw the dove fly up in the sky, he noticed the clouds darkening and felt the wind pick up.

It was coming.

----------------------

Cloud slid down the ramp and made his way to the elevator. The secret hatch in the tunnel was forced open, indicating that someone was eager to escape. A dark colored rag was found, stuck by a sharp edge of the small entry. He knew Arvin was trying to reach the plate and he had called Reeve to continue the search above.

The elevator went up and Cloud grasped the handle of the Ragnarok. When it reached the last floor, the door opened and he stepped out. He walked cautiously outside the reactor and stopped. The bridge was damaged, right were the all three pathways should have connect, there were only two that was.

It was Sector 5.

On the path to his left, stood the one he was searching for. The girl turned around and stared at him. They both unseated their swords.

The battle had begun.

----------------------

Reeve and the Turks had successively got a helicopter, and were now on their way through the slums. The former spy stared outside as flashes of metal and dirt pass by. He was troubled, not only could Cloud be in severe danger but the people as well.

Cait sat on his lap and glanced up at him. "This is some cruise to remember." He said and stretched a little. Reeve looked down at him.

"How so?"

Cait yawned and leant back at the man. "This will be the day that changes everything."

Reeve arched an eyebrow. "How do you know?"

The cat chuckled. "My whiskers are tingling."

"Hey Reeve." Reno spoke up, breaking the conversation between the two.

"What?" Reeve responded, glancing up at the Turk who handled the controls.

"Check the Reactor Five."

He frowned but glanced outside where the reactor was. By the bridge were two people fighting, sparkles escaping by the blades contacts. Cait was also glued to the window, watching the battle with curiosity.

"Isn't that Cloud?" He asked out loud. Reeve nodded, it was him. He reached into his pocket and took out the phone, dialing Tifa.

----------------------

Two women, one a former bar hostess and the other a skillful ninja, walked through the Wall Market with weapons ready. When Cait had arrived on the bridge, he informed them about the call and the destination. The gang had divided in smaller groups to raise their luck of finding Cloud, Arvin or Vincent. Tifa and Yuffie left for Sector Six while the others search elsewhere.

Tifa glanced around. _Where is he? Did he find Arvin again?_ She thought with a tinge of sadness.

Yuffie looked at her, her friend was really down. She sighed; Tifa had to give herself a time off. A trip to Costa del Sol should do the trick, the sun, the heat and fantastic beach. The ninja wanted to go there, rest her feet from these adventurers seemed like a proposition she could not resist.

From thoughts of a sun kissed beach to a dark and gloomy city, the shinobi detected movements in the dark. She stopped dead in her tracks.

Tifa turned around and frowned at her. "What is it?"

Yuffie glanced at the wall, eyeing it. A small pile of trash cast its shadow on the wall, nothing else. The teenager frowned; she could have sworn she saw something move by that shadow.

The brunette woman ahead waited in silence and jumped when her phone rang.

"Tifa."

While her comrade spoke with the caller, Yuffie glanced around. She felt watched, someone was stalking them.

"Yuffie!"

The teen turned to her, surprise clearly written on her face. Tifa gestured her to follow as she ran back, towards the prior sector.

With on last look at the wall, the ninja ran after her.

Unbeknownst to both of them, the shadow moved before it gave out low moan.

----------------------

Both warriors charged against each other with swords raised. A broadsword versus a katana, both wield by strong fighters. The bridge was shaking but neither of them cared.

But they did when a sudden movement occurred. The force sent them to the railing, clinging for safety. They both forgot about the fight when they noticed the bridge was giving away. Cloud and Arvin stood perfectly still, waiting...listening.

Metal bent and cracked then it ceased. Time seemed to stop. Their senses was high alert, eyes focused, ears listening, muscles tensed and their breathing calm. Cloud knew the situation, Arvin knew the situation, both were aware of the next part.

Not far away, Tifa and Yuffie stood on a high peak, trying to get a clue about the battle above. The polluted air was hindering them from any clear sign. But they could hear the dreaded sound from the reactor.

The bridge gave away.

Arvin's reflexes kicked in and her left hand grasped the nearest object she could find, a steel pipe. The blonde female dangled in the air as she watched the male hanging a few feet under her. Cloud had fortunately caught the metal bar before he fell any further. Red eyes locked with blue. Watching, waiting, feeling the energy draining away by their position, neither of them would loose the advantage of the weapon. It was like a silent game with one simple rule; the one that could hold on longest wins. And both were competitors with no intentions to lose.

Cloud, being enhanced with mako infusion and Jenova cells, had an advantage. But unknown to him, Arvin had some enhancements herself, taking her by the same level as the Ex-SOLDIER.

The AVALANCHE leader broke the eye contact, when the bar he held shifted. His eyes darted above him and widened at the sight; the metal was slightly bent. The problem though was not his only grabbing peak; it was the rest of the bridge above. Remaining parts were falling down, aiming at the two fighters. Arvin was also aware of the news; the situation was tenser now, the game suddenly became harder.

Tifa watched in horror as the metal came down. It was all happening again, Cloud on the edge of death and herself standing by, watching.

Cloud glanced down and then up. Arvin watched him and knew what he was about to do.

He let go.

Tifa screamed. The Turks and Reeve was in shock and Arvin was stunned. Every pair of eyes followed the falling figure of Cloud Strife, as he slowly disappeared through the thick cloud of smoke.

_I'm sorry_...

_I tried_...

_But, it wasn't enough_...

"_Oh, it moved!"_

_Huh?_

"_Can you hear me?"_

_I know you_...

"_Hello...hello?"_

_That voice_...

"Anone?"

Cloud let out a groan, his body was aching in pain.

"Anone?"

Blue eyes fluttered open, his vision was blurred but very bright, he could make out a face hovering above him. The face was feminine and was framed with long auburn hair.

"O genki desu ka?" Cloud frowned tiredly at the words; too fatigue to fight the oblivion that seized his body. Before darkness covered his vision, he noticed a pair of green eyes staring at him and a warm smile.

..._Aeris_.

_**To be continued...**_

****

* * *

When I was a child, my father read a book for me every night before bedtime. My favorite was called "Pettson and Findus". Pettson was an old man who lived in the country with his cat Findus. You would normally think like, "Yeah, so whatever." But this cat was a striped tabby and different. He was nearly two feet tall, standing on its hind legs (as a human being), wearing big green pants with stripes and one brace. He wears a tiny green hat and has adorable green eyes. And finally, he talks, plays and pulls pranks like a small child.

I kind of compared him with Cait Sith. I also wanted the little cat to have a role himself with or without the stuffed mog.


End file.
